In the short time since the New England Patriots fell short against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII, head coach Bill Belichick has received quite a bit of criticism for benching Malcolm Butler.

Former Patriots linebacker Ron Ninkovich is the latest to voice his dismay over the situation, stating that he didn't agree with Belichick's decision to sit Butler From Joshua Schrock of NESN.com:

“I mean, if it was discipline, I don’t know if that is the best way to go about it,” Ninkovich said. “You need good players on the field to execute. Bill says it all the time, Bill will say it in interviews, ‘Coaches don’t win games, players do. Coaches lose games.’ At the end of the day, you have to have your best players on the field and you question if Malcolm not being on the field is the best option to win the football game. At the end of the day, it is what it is. That is what happened. It is in history now.”

Although there is no clarity yet as to exactly why Belichick made that choice, it turned out to be a poorly-timed one that put his team at a disadvantage. This only further contributed to their struggles limiting quarterback Nick Foles, who strung together a Super Bowl MVP performance with 373 passing yards and three touchdown passes, even hauling in a touchdown of his own.

At that same token, Ninkovich also stated that several players on the Patriots defense were likely angered by the situation, leading to more frustration and issues on the field of play.

“I would be pretty angry, I guess, because everyone out there on that field is giving it everything they’ve got and you want the best players with you,” Ninkovich said. “I don’t know at the end if it would have hurt, or even at halftime, you’re like, ‘Hey, we can’t stop them. Let’s change things up and move guys around. Let’s put Malcolm on somebody and move some people.’ It is what it is. The game is over with. This one definitely hurts and again, I just feel bad for the guys that played in that game because it is a hard fought game to get to and when you get there, it is really unfortunate to not win.”

Butler has been one of the most dependable players in the secondary for the Patriots over his four-year career with the team, really starting on this stage his rookie year in Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks, making the game-sealing interception. His presence could have played a key role in helping limit the Eagles' efficiency moving the ball through the air.

Nonetheless, the large amount of backlash that Belichick has received for his decision underlines the magnitude of the move he made.